Runners, Parents Protest Coach's Dismissal

Runners and their parents are rallying around Mike McGregor, the former cross country coach at Menifee, California's Paloma Valley High School who was fired last week because of cussing at an administrator in early September. As the Press-Enterprise reports[4], the Paloma Valley team competed in a meet on September 12 that was inadequately marked and that had runners go through a parking lot containing moving vehicles. McGregor acknowledges that, after the meet, he had an intense discussion with the athletic director of the school where the meet was held, and during that discussion cussed at the athletic director. Last week Paloma Valley's principal told McGregor he was no longer the team's coach. On Monday, Paloma Valley runners and their parents held a roadside rally in support of McGregor. They contend that school and school district officials aren't being open enough about the popular coach's dismissal. "“Officials have told us that he broke [athletic association] ethics codes," one mother of a Paloma Valley runner said. "He did utter a word that he shouldn’t have, but we don’t think that’s something that he should be fired for. “One incident and he’s fired," she continued. "They’re telling us it’s more than one incident, that if we knew what they know, we would agree. But they’re not giving us anything.”